Testimony to Witness to Guantanamo (Abubakir Qasem)

The only mistreatment they have ever received in Guantanamo was during the China’s delegation visit in the Fall of 2002. How he trusted the United States. And, for, he thought—and like all the Uyghurs— they always felt that the United States is [the] one and only country in the world that defends democracy and human rights, a country that helps weak people, and the most just country in the world, that treats everybody equally, and does the right thing, and all the American values and all that. He is aware of all that. Therefore, they trusted the United States government. Therefore, they turned all the detailed information about their families, their names and addresses and all that. When the Chinese delegation came, for the US government to turn all of that confidential information to the Chinese government, knowing how the Chinese government may retaliate against the families, and putting their families in that jeopardy. That was the worst experience ever for him. Especially, that kind of high hope he had toward the US government and Americans. And that was just turned to zero, and overnight. He thought that was just the beautiful words and the dreams and the ideas that the US advertised, and this was not the US. And maybe, you know, the Americans are the same. They don’t protect the weak people. They are no different then the Chinese government, maybe.